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The sun was just cresting over the top of the trees in the distance as the warden shoved all the boys out into the fenced in courtyard.

"Exercise. One hour. Then you have classes." He turned curtly and went back inside locking the door behind him. The instant the door clicked shut the boys burst into loud hooting and hollering. Hanschen tried hiding himself in a far corner of the compound. He twisted his fingers into the chain linked fence and gazed up as if he was contemplating climbing over and running away. Carefully Melchior sauntered up never once looking at Hanschen. He leaned casually against the fence with his hands in his pockets a few feet from Hanschen. Quietly still facing outwards Melchior talked as if addressing no one.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. And don't look at me when you talk. Keep looking where ever you are but don't look at anyone." Hanschen glanced with a sharp glare at Melchior.

"I will look at who ever I please. And you are not me. You don't know what I am doing." Melchior sighed still holding onto the charade that they were not conversing. He locked his eyes onto a group of boys circled tightly at the other end of the courtyard.

"You are planning some stupid grand escape. Don't. And you hiding in the corner is making you a target. See those boys over there?" Melchior flicked his chin in the direction of the circle. "Don't look at them directly. But they are already planning on using you as a punching bag in about ten minutes." Hanschen rolled his eyes.

"Always with the melodrama Gabor. I have not done a single thing to them." Melchior burst out laughing. Hanschen frowned softly. That was not Melchior's laugh. At least not the Melchior he remembered. It was much colder and so much less curious. Its harshness made Hanschen wonder if he might be right. Impossible. Gabor was never right. "Besides… how could you possibly know they were going to beat me up? They have not even looked at me."

"Exactly." Melchior bobbed his head completely confident "they have not looked at you once. They know your position. They know you are new and afraid. Isn't it odd that they have not looked at you?" Hanschen's frowned deepened and he started feeling slightly anxious despite his confidence that Melchior was just using his old flare for drama.

"Well slightly… but why would they even be interested in me?" Melchior rolled his eyes again. This was going to be a long learning process.

"Hmm lets see; you are new, on the smaller side, after your little display this morning they have plenty to tease you about, you have the biggest attitude, you come from a wealthy family, the warden has singled you out for some reason, you are not particularly strong, and you are probably the prettiest one here." Hanschen whipped his head up but he was not angry, he was blushing brightly. "Damn it I said not to look at me!" Hanschen dropped his gaze and clenched his jaw. He mumbled shyly almost at his shoes.

"Shut up… you don't know what you are talking about…" Melchior groaned.

"Well I know a lot more about this place than you do so you are just going to have to trust me" Hanschen glared at the ground and refused to reply.

Trust him? Trust him? He can't be serious. I don't trust anymore. The only thing I could ever trust failed me. The system. I had worked for it my whole life and look where it got me. I didn't rock the boat. I didn't work too hard. I bided my time like I was supposed to. God I don't know where I went wrong. Sure I indulged in certain… pleasures. But don't we all? Damn that pastor who got me sent here. Damn those urges and my stupid lack of self control and damn ern…

Sharp tears bubbled to Hanschen's eyes and he quickly blinked them back. It was not Ernst's fault and he knew it. Ernst had tried to save him. ..

"Hanschen!" Melchior had finally given up on not looking at Hanschen while he spoke. He was waving his hand in front of him trying to pull him from his catatonic thinking spree. "We have to get out of here… they are coming." Hanschen glanced half heartedly at the circle of boys.

"You are an idiot. They have not moved an inch." Hanschen went back to staring out beyond the wire to the barren land surrounding the reformatory and then farther on into the sanctuary the tall pines offered. If only he could make it to those trees he knew he could get out and away from this whole situation and go back to playing the system that had cheated him.

"Hanschen, they are going to be here in approximately two minutes. You need to stop moping in the corner like a stupid child and get to somewhere more protected." Melchior tried to be as firm as he could with out directly ordering him. He found the more you tried to push Hanschen one way he would push even harder to do the opposite. He also didn't want to mention that even if they came over he would do his best to protect Hanschen. He definitely didn't want to mention that.

Melchior rolled his eyes as Hanschen scoffed loudly.

"I don't need you telling me what to do. I can take care of myself. Obviously a lot better than you Gabor considering you got caught!" He spit on the ground rolled up his sleeves and started walking towards the circle of boys. Melchior groaned louder and started walking after Hanschen trying to inconspicuously stop him before he did something stupid.

A few of the boys turned as Hanschen drew nearer. Once again Hanschen spit on the ground narrowly missing Reinhold's shoe. Just before he reached them Melchie grabbed his shoulder. In a harsh whisper Melchior got right in Hanschen's face.

"Please tell me you are not trying to act tough. You are not tough you are stupid. You are a stupid naïve little boy who has no idea what those kids can do to you. You are going to get yourself killed if you pick a fight with them." He wanted to shake Hanschen. Shake some sense into his stupid blonde head.

"I am tough. I can take them with my eyes closed and you are the naïve one if you think you are going to be my big protector here. We may have shared some arbitrary meaningless childhood memories but that doesn't mean you have the right to try and be my friend or tell me what to do. We hated each other before and just because we are stuck here that doesn't change that fact! Now get your hand of my shoulder before I tear it off!" Hanschen was causing a scene and the other boys snickered quietly. Melchior removed his hand and took a step back. He gritted his teeth and did his best to whisper despite his flaring anger.

"Fine. Get yourself killed. See where it gets you." He paused for dramatic effect and gazed meaningfully at Hanschen. He prayed silently that this bluff would work. He lowered his voice so only Hanschen could hear. "But you sacrificed yourself for your friend and if he knew you were getting yourself killed wouldn't it be … a waste?"

The swing came out of nowhere. Hanschen had clipped the top of Melchior's head and went in flailing for another blow. Melchior couldn't help but laugh at Hanschen's poor form. He had obviously never fought a day in his life. Melchior held him at bay by placing a strong hand on his head and holding him at arm's length. Hanschen swung and struggled blindly. This was not helping his reputation at all as the boys watched laughing themselves into tears but at least it kept him from getting really pummeled. The others wouldn't hold back.

"I swear to god I will kill you! You don't talk about him! You don't even know what you are saying! Never talk about him! He is dead to me! You ever even say even the slightest thing like what you just said and you will be able to count every one of your teeth in your hand!" Hanschen struggled harder nearly catching Melchior in the stomach. Melchior listened with a quiet reserve and as gently as he could shoved Hanschen to the ground. He had to look like he was trying a little. Hanschen gaped for a moment at him from the ground a fire in his eyes Melchior had never seen before.

In a bark of wild rage Hanschen jumped at Melchie and pounced him to the ground. The boys were now circled around the squabble and cheered Melchior on.

"Lucky shot pretty boy! It won't happen again! Thrash him Gabor!" Reinhold elbowed Hellmuth and they started taking bets. The odds were not in favor for Hanschen. Melchior was quickly losing his patience and he pinned Hanschen to the ground putting him into a submissive pose, his face digging into the dirt. Melchior got close to Hanschen's ear and growled low enough for just Hanschen to hear.

"You better calm yourself down because if you keep trying to fight me I might just have to fight back soon. What ever I did to upset you we can talk about later but right now I am not the enemy. You are just lucky I got you out of a fight with them." Hanschen thrashed and kicked but couldn't get out of the pin.

After another ten minutes of hopeless struggling Hanschen finally went limp, exhausted from fighting against Melchior's iron grip. Melchior waited another moment or two to make sure he was really done before standing up and brushing himself off. Hellmuth pushed through the crowd.

"Come on Philosopher finish him!" Hellmuth tossed a kick at Hanschen who was still on the ground breathing heavily. "You can't start the show and cut off before the best part. If you won't do it I will." Hellmuth kicked Hanschen again a little harder causing him to flip onto his back. Melchior was caught. He couldn't hit Hanschen anymore but he couldn't watch has Hellmuth beat the kid but he also couldn't fight Hellmuth unless he wanted endless taunting. Hanschen held his ribs heaving on his back his eyes shut tightly in pain. Melchie gritted his teeth.

Maybe… maybe it will be good if he gets roughed up a little. Maybe it will teach him that these kids mean business. They are not going to take it easy on him. They didn't take it easy on me. It … will teach him a lesson… considering he only knows how to learn the hard way.

Hellmuth waited about ten seconds before he kicked Hanschen for a third time flipping him onto his stomach and knocking the wind out of him. He gasped his eyes bulging and Melchior had to turn away from the cruel sight. Reinhold noticed the turn and stalked up to Melchior.

"Hey everybody the Philosopher has gone soft! Doesn't want to watch his little friend get beaten up. Well let me help you." He wheeled Melchior roughly back around twisting his arm behind his back so he couldn't get away. He watched painfully as Hellmuth dragged Hanschen to his feet by his shirt collar.

"Come on pretty boy! Show me some of those amazing fighting moves." Hanschen tried to wiggle free but it was completely in vain. It was torture to watch. Like a crocodile terrorizing a faun before it actually killed it. Melchior closed his eyes blocking out the sight but not the sound of Hellmuth going at Hanschen.

A few gasps and yelps and shouts and then silence.

Melchior shot his eyes open and Hanschen was crumpled on the ground with Hellmuth standing smugly over him. Melchior ripped his arm from Reinhold's grasp and was about to break Hellmuth's nose for the 8th time when a piercing whistle ripped through the crowd. Everyone spun on their feet and ran to the door knowing if they were late for class there would be severe consequences.

Melchior and Hellmuth had a momentary staring match and an unspoken line was drawn between the two. Finally Hellmuth ran inside. Melchior crouched down to Hanschen's side. He looked like hell. His lip was split and even unconscious his hand gripped his side painfully. Melchior was on the verge of tears. He could have stopped this.

"Hanschen… I am so sorry…" Melchior reached out to gently touch his cheek but suddenly Hanschen smiled. His face broke into a wild grin and he came to life. He picked himself up brushed off his dusty clothes. Melchior gaped stunned and confused. "What the hell Hanschen?" Hanschen just smiled triumphantly.

"I have some tricks up my sleeve Gabor. One being playing dead. I can handle myself." As he said this he took a deep breath and yelped falling to one knee in pain. Melchior bit back his anger at Hanschen for nearly scaring him to death and helped him to his feet.

" yeah… you can take care of yourself… that's why you probably have broken ribs…" he slung Hanschen's arm over his shoulder and pulled him as quickly as he could into the building. " so to the nurse?" he tried to laugh but it came out as a choking sound. It is hard to be light hearted when half dragging a kid you grew up with into just a deeper level of hell.

"No. they said we have class. I am not going to look like a wimp in front of them." Gently Melchior let Hanschen slip a little and Hanschen yelped and clung tighter to him proving his point.

"You are going to the nurse. You already looked like you got knocked unconscious after about five hits. That makes you about as tough as a five year old girl to them. It won't make much difference whether you go to the nurse or not." Hanschen was about to argue again but Melchior cut him off. "Whether you like it or not I am going to take care of you. Ever since they sent me here I have wished for a second chance… a chance to take care of some one… to save someone… because it was too late for them… and me. I can save you Hanschen. So if you are going to make it difficult I don't care but just know I am going to be looking out for you. Starting off with taking you to the nurse. And keeping you out of fights."

Hanschen was stunned into silence.

Nobody has ever taken care of me. I don't need it. I don't need him here. Helping me. He was the whole reason I got in the fight anyway. He shouldn't have brought him up…

Hanschen glanced quietly at Melchior who was looking straight ahead determinedly helping him to the nurse's office.

Why doesn't he just leave me alone? Why can't he just hate me like everyone else? I deserve it. I got myself into this and I can get myself out. I am Hanschen Rilow and I don't need Melchior Gabor babysitting me.

Melchior gently pulled Hanschen up a little higher. He paused momentarily and looked around. He glanced almost teasingly at Hanschen.

"Sorry… but you are way too slow." Before he gave Hanschen a chance to question or argue Melchior swept him up into his arms. Melchior didn't look at Hanschen's face but had he looked he would have seen the slightest tinge of an unmistakable blush.

God damn it what does he think he is doing? He … he… oh god he is strong… stop it stop it stop it. I can walk perfectly fine. Oh god… I bet this is not what they expected when they sent me to this reformatory to kick those "sinful and confused desires" out of me. God my father would die to see a heathenous radical like Gabor carrying me tenderly in his arms. Stop it stop it stop it. Get a grip Hanschen. He is slime. He is scum. All boys are. They are only good for their skin… and kisses… and mmm

´Hanschen are you ok? You are groaning a lot… your eyes are closed…" Melchior had stopped walking and looked down with concern. "Are you alright? Does it hurt that bad?" Hanschen frowned having been torn from his happy break from reality.

"No… no I am not alright… and it hurts like hell. Everything hurts like hell." If only it was the broken ribs and split lip causing the pain…

and so there it is. in the next chapter one of hanschen's dirty little secrets will be revealed... stay tuned and much love! reveiws are amazing :)